A fibre-optical method for monitoring barite precipitation at high pressure/high temperature conditions

Monitoring and controlling of mineral precipitation is a major challenge in several industry segments such as oil gas or geothermal energy. Especially at elevated pressures, temperatures, salinities, these reactions are poorly understood difficult to predict. Real-time monitoring under conditions, however, crucial for reduction prevention scaling well process modelling. In this study, novel fibre-optical method the barite high pressures temperatures was developed tested. The applicability sensor demonstrated kinetic data derived from experiments using synthetic fluids that were oversaturated with barite. ionic strength varied between 0 5 mol/l NaCl simulate brines typically found deep sedimentary reservoirs. Experiments performed 25 150 °C. For studied variations it had strong impact on rate whereas temperature only minor influence. constants decreasing increasing salinity ranging 9 0.4 l‧mol−1‧s−1 °C 8.6 0.66